Law, Information Governance & Collections

Abstract

Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation in the United Kingdom is highly relevant to the information management field. Since the handling of personal information and confidential material is a common feature of archival and record-keeping work, a standardised set of laws which govern all bodies in the country regarding their use would be both beneficial and necessary for proper practice and implementation, particularly in the realm of accountability and best practice. Yet as both data protection and freedom of information laws have been implemented in practice, their introduction has posed new challenges for the field, largely regarding the costs of compliance and the ongoing tensions between access and confidentiality, both of which affect the core of information management principles.Thus, it is important to define the particulars of this legislation and how they affect archives and libraries in the United Kingdom. Only then can the vital role that both data protection and freedom of information laws play in providing trust and accountability to the public be fully understood as essential components of said regimes: a role of enough importance to override any concerns regarding their implementation.